The Class Reunion
by XX4aXX
Summary: Penny asks Sheldon to accompany her to her 10 year class reunion, she may soon wish she hadn't.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N- I acknowledge the use of Wikipedia for information used in this story.**

**Disclaimer- I do not own any of these characters.**

**Reviews very much appreciated. **

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><p>"Sheldon please" Penny implored.<p>

"No. Why don't you ask Leonard?" Sheldon looked up from his computer.

"I just can't, he will think that I want us to get back together, and I certainly don't want that."

"Well ask Howard or Raj." Sheldon was looking back at his computer hoping that if he just concentrated on his work Penny would understand that he didn't want to go to her class reunion with her.

"Howard has a girlfriend and I don't think Bernadette would like me to take her fiance away for the weekend, and Raj he still can't talk to me. It has to be you."

"Why do you have to take anyone at all?" Sheldon asked.

"Have you never been to a class reunion? If I turn up without a date and no career it will be assumed that the move to LA to become an actor has been a complete failure. At least if I have a date they may not notice my career having gone nowhere."

"Unless working at The Cheesecake Factory was your primary aim when you moved to Los Angeles." Sheldon replied.

Penny was almost at her wits end, she really didn't want to go alone and not going would be worse than going alone, because you know that if you don't turn up at a class reunion everyone assumes you have failed in life.

"Leonard will take you." Sheldon kept typing hoping she would go away.

Then Penny remembered something, a way to get Sheldon to go, his massive ego.

"Sheldon, can you imagine how bored everyone would be having to listen to stories of Leonard's research all night. But your research is interesting and of course people would be fascinated to hear you talk all night. In many years to come they will all remember the night they met Dr Sheldon Cooper, Nobel Prize winner." Penny smiled sweetly at Sheldon.

He stopped typing and looked into the distance, Penny assumed he was imagining himself on stage in Stockholm accepting his Nobel Prize. He smiled and turned towards Penny, "Yes you are right, Leonard would be a tedious companion and not serve the purpose you intend for your date."

Sheldon stood up and walked over to Penny. "I will come with you on three conditions, one, we have separate bedrooms, two, I will provide my own bed linen and three, there is to be no touching of any kind, particularly no hand holding."

Penny thought about his conditions, they seemed acceptable to her so she agreed.

"Oh and of course Penny we will travel to Nebraska by train." Sheldon said as an afterthought.

Penny looked at him and about to say something, but Sheldon continued.

"It is unconditional. I will pay for the fares."

"Sheldon that will add time to the trip each way." Penny replied.

"Penny, the fun is in the travel." Sheldon smiled.

"Oh Yea." Penny sarcastically replied.

"Well I best get onto booking our berths. I will do it to ensure it is done correctly. " Sheldon typed in Amtrak's web address and started to book their berths for the journey.

The following Saturday afternoon Penny was in Apartment 4A watching Sheldon's power point presentation on their journey. Leonard was sitting on the couch watching Penny, he knew the itinerary and he knew that Penny was not going to be happy.

"So we depart Union Station at 10.20 am on Tuesday and arrive into Sacramento at 11.59pm Tuesday night, we will then proceed to our hotel, where I have booked two adjoining rooms. Our train to Omaha will leave Sacramento on Wednesday 11.09am and we will arrive into Omaha on Friday at 4.59am." Sheldon was reading through the power point presentation.

"We leave on Tuesday and get to Omaha on Friday?" Penny looked at her notes in disbelief.

"Yes, it's exciting isn't it," Sheldon replied in genuine glee. "Penny you do realise that we will be taking the Coast Starlight, one of the most famous train journeys in the USA."

"Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Sheldon that's 4 days." Penny wasn't listening to Sheldon and she certainly wasn't interested in the famous train journeys of the USA.

"Actually Penny we arrive very early on Friday, so it really is less that 3 days." Sheldon looked up at his presentation, the next slide was all about the history of the Coast Starlight. "The Coast Starlight is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on the West Coast of the United States. It runs 1,377 miles from King Street Station in Seattle Washington, to Union Station in Los Angeles,California or vice versa. The train's name was formed as a merging of two of Southern Pacific's train names, the Coast Daylight and the Starlight. These were two of SP's numerous Coast Line trains. Major station stops along the route between Seattle and Los Angeles are; Portland and Eugene, Oregon, and Sacramento, where will will be disembarking."

Penny wasn't listening to Sheldon, she was instead wishing she never asked Sheldon to come with her, surely arriving alone would be better than this she was thinking, but Sheldon had booked and paid for everything, she couldn't change now.

"Three days." Penny looked at Leonard as if to say help. He didn't help instead he just smirked at her.

"Penny," Sheldon continued. "I only booked seats on the journey between Los Angeles and Sacramento, but on the longer stretch between Sacramento and Omaha I booked us each a

Superliner Bedroom, so you will be very comfortable."

Sheldon waited for Penny to reply, but instead she was just looking at him in pure astonishment.

" Penny this is where you say thank you, the bedrooms were not cheap." Sheldon said.

"Sorry Sheldon, thank you." Penny answered.

Leonard then joined the conversation "Sheldon don't forget you have the excitement of the journey back too."

"Is that train quicker?" Penny asked hopefully.

"Oh yes the train is quicker, but the layover in Chicago is a little over 24 hours, so it will take approx 77 hours, whereas the journey to Omaha including the stopover in Sacramento will take approx 65 hours."

"77 hours, oh Sheldon." Penny cried.

"Penny, we get to travel on another of the great rail journeys of the USA and perhaps the world, we get to travel on the Southwest Chief." Sheldon excitingly began to explain to Penny the wonders of the Southwest Chief.

Penny wasn't listening any more.


	2. Chapter 2

Penny was rolling her bag down the platform behind her. Leonard had told Penny that Sheldon had paid about $2800.00 for the train tickets alone, and the hotels were about another $500.00 for the two of them, she couldn't believe that he could just spend that amount of money and not expect her to pay at least half. It was just like that time that he lent her the money, except this time Penny didn't seem to have the same anxiety, no this time she had a different anxiety altogether. She was about to spend almost two weeks in Sheldon Cooper's company, alone with no Leonard , Amy or any of their friends to help. Was she mad?

Leonard, Raj, Howard, Bernadette and Amy had all come to the train station to farewell them. Leonard in particular was in a joyous mood. Penny knew that Leonard had organised a party whilst Sheldon was away, but she was in strictest confidence not to let Sheldon know.

Penny had been nervous about telling Amy about her trip away with Sheldon, but she need not have worried. Amy had told Penny that she had long ago given up on Sheldon as anything but a friend that is a boy, no Amy had moved on and was seeing a young biologist that she had been mentoring only the year before.

Penny finally caught up with Sheldon who was talking to the platform attendant showing him their tickets. Sheldon had told Penny that he would hold the tickets because she would likely lose them, and then where would they be, Penny really didn't care and was happy for Sheldon to take control of the journey, it kept him busier at least.

Sheldon turned to Penny and said,

"Penny are you ready for the journey of a lifetime?"

She looked at him, he was so excited, Leonard said he hardly slept the night before. Penny had also experienced a lack of sleep, but excitement was not the reason for her insomnia, she was thinking of how she was going to survive these next two weeks.

"Yes Sheldon, let's get this over with."

Sheldon turned and looked at her, "Really Penny? He cocked his head slightly and then continued, " This is going to be so much fun."

Penny smiled back at him, trying really hard to be nice to him, he really was doing this for her she remembered.

"Well have a nice trip you two, and don't forget to write." Leonard kissed Penny on the cheek, then everyone said their goodbyes, and before Penny knew it she was on the train alone with Sheldon. Sheldon had booked specific seats for this leg of the journey. Penny sat down, but soon she heard Sheldon say to her.

"Penny you will notice that I chose seats so that we have ocean views on our journey, and not only that, you will notice that the seats that we have are not over the wheel base, so that our journey will be smoother."

Penny looked at Sheldon, _Oh god he's going to be talking all the time,_ she thought.

Sheldon turned away from her and muttered to himself, "Thank you Sheldon, very thoughtful Sheldon."

"Thank you Sheldon, very thoughtful of you Sheldon." Penny looked at him with a sarcastic smile.

"See wasn't too hard was it." Sheldon replied, then he continued.

"Did you know that between October 2005 through to August 2006 this particular service had earned the nickname of "The Coast Starlate", do you know why?"

He waited there was no reply.

"I will tell you, it was because during that time it only ran on schedule 2% of the time."

Penny looked at him blankly.

"But never fear, those times are over, The Coast Starlight now runs on schedule nearly 92% of the time, which is a higher average than any national airline."

She closed her eyes and turned toward the window. Leonard and the gang were all beaming up at her. They could see the exasperation in her eyes and they felt her pain, and the train hadn't even left the station yet. Then the train started to pull away, Penny waved down at them slowly, like a condemned women going to the gallows.

"So, I give her two days before she kills him." Howard said as they began to walk away.

"24 hours." Leonard replied, and then he started to whistle very loudly and soon Howard and Raj joined in.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N- Thank you all for the reviews, and story alerts, it really is lovely to see them in my inbox. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

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><p>The clickety clack of the train was gently lulling Penny to sleep, it was getting later in the day and the carriage was darkening. Sheldon had spent the first hour of their journey talking to Penny all about trains and the train journey's they were going to be taking on this trip. He got out a detailed map that showed Penny their route to Omaha and back again. His excitement was palpable, he couldn't stop smiling. His happiness was infectious and Penny actually was really enjoying herself.<p>

Sheldon even struck up a conversation with John, a young man seated in the seat across the aisle from him when he saw him reading a copy of "Trains", one of Sheldon's favourite magazines, this allowed Penny time to read her own choice of magazine, Cosmopolitan. When John got off at San Luis Obispo Sheldon took out his laptop and started to type away at his work.

It was dark out when Penny woke and the carriage had emptied somewhat since she had fallen asleep. Sheldon had stopped work and turned off his laptop, he was now asleep, Penny looked at him and wondered what he dreamt about, probably winning the Nobel Prize, he was smiling even in his sleep.

On the first day that Penny met Sheldon she had thought he was cute and she wasn't the only one amongst her friends that thought so too. Katie, one of the waitresses at The Cheesecake Factory had developed a small crush on Sheldon and asked Penny several times if she could wait on his table hoping for a chance to chat him up. Penny had told Katie she was wasting her time, but she wouldn't believe her, so Penny let her wait on his table, Katie never asked again.

Sheldon shifted in his sleep and his hand came to rest on Penny's leg just above her knee, she didn't know whether she should try to remove it and perhaps wake him, or just leave it, she decided to leave it. She looked at his hand, Penny liked a man to have nice hands with long fingers, and Sheldon's hands were very nice. He shifted again and this time his hand moved onto her thigh, if this wasn't Sheldon Penny would think he really wasn't sleeping, but instead trying to get to third base. She left his hand there, it wasn't hurting anyone was it? The train started to slow down as it was coming into Martinez, it was nearly 11pm, they had been on the train for over 12 hours. Penny turned to look at Sheldon and saw that he was now awake and looking at her, his blues eyes were so intense and he was now staring directly into Penny's eyes, he then noticed that his hand was resting on her thigh, he nervously removed his hand, mumbling an apology as he did so.

"That's ok sweetie, now if it was Howard's hand I would have chopped it off," Penny smiled at Sheldon, he was embarrassed and he really had nothing to be embarrassed about.

"Excuse me Penny." Sheldon got up from his seat and walked towards the toilets.

Penny shook her head trying to wake herself up and grabbed out some mints from her bag, she really couldn't wait to get to the hotel and freshen up, she grabbed her phone and saw a text message from Howard.

"Have you killed him yet?"

Penny sighed, " Really Howard." She choose to ignore the text, it didn't deserve a reply, she threw her phone back into her handbag.

Sheldon returned to his seat, he had brushed his teeth, Penny could smell the mint.

"Only one station and then it's Sacramento, did you read in the itinerary the details of the hotel we will be staying in? " Sheldon asked.

"Mmm, no."

"Penny, the itinerary holds very important information for you. What would you do if we had an emergency right now? "

Penny looked at Sheldon "Follow you?"

"And if you lost me in the crowd?"

"Oh Sheldon, it's not going to happen!"

Sheldon looked hurt. "It might, and I wouldn't want you to." he stopped.

"Ok I will read the itinerary." She grabbed it out of her bag and starting reading.

Sheldon really had covered everything, from Apocalypse to Zombie Attack, and much to Penny's surprise it wasn't dry reading either, there were parts in there that were quite humorous and she even giggled a couple of time whilst reading it, when she did Sheldon looked at her with a look of surprise, he hadn't expected her to get those jokes.

They started to slow down on their approach to Sacramento, Penny and Sheldon were ready to disembark, Penny had to admit this day had been far more enjoyable than she had expected.

The hotel Sheldon had chosen in Sacramento was less than a mile from the train station, so a quick taxi ride and they were there, he had especially organised a very late check in.

He held the door open for Penny and they walked into the foyer.

"I believe you have a reservation under Dr Cooper for two adjoining rooms."

"Welcome Dr Cooper . Yes we have you in Rooms 876 and 878 they both have wonderful views over the city and full bathrooms, if I could just grab some details we can get you settled into your rooms for the night, you both must be very tired." the desk clerk said.

Penny flopped onto her bed, the rooms were beautiful and must have cost Sheldon a lot of money, how was she ever to repay him, although she knew he wouldn't want or expect repayment.

Knock knock knock, "Penny."

Knock knock knock, "Penny."

Knock knock knock, "Penny."

"Come in sweetie."

Sheldon walked into her room.

"Penny I have set the alarm for 8.00am, I took into consideration the late hour and thought a sleep in would be welcome.'

"Thank you Sheldon." but she was thinking 8.00am is no sleep in.

He turned to leave.

"Sheldon, thank you for this, for the train fares, the beautiful room and for coming with me, you are a very good friend." Penny looked at Sheldon standing there in his chinos and double shirts, Penny would never have thought when she left Omaha to move to Los Angeles that she would meet such a remarkable and strange man as Dr Sheldon Cooper, but she really is glad that she did.

He smiled at her.

"You're welcome Penny, see you tomorrow morning, sleep well."

And he turned and left the room.

Penny looked at the closed door for about 30 seconds hoping he would come back, but he didn't.

"Sleep well Sheldon."


	4. Chapter 4

At 8.00am, Sheldon knocked on Penny's door in his usual manner. Penny stirred in her bed, she had slept so well, the bed had been like a cloud. Sheldon knocked once more, Penny grabbed the hotel robe and walked over to the door.

"Morning sweetie." she opened the door to let him in.

"Morning Penny, I trust you slept well."

"I want to take this bed with me." Penny jumped back into her bed, but in doing so her robe opened up and Sheldon got to see more of Penny than he would like and she meant. She was wearing a tank and knickers, but she knew that Sheldon was embarrassed, she quickly tied her robe around her again.

"Well Penny, you have 30 minutes to get ready, then we need to get some breakfast, I think the hotel breakfast room should be adequate, the rooms appear to be very clean, I would assume that the hotel's kitchen too would be."

"Ok, now you must leave so a girl can get ready." she ran into her bathroom and turned on the shower, 5 minutes later she was blow drying her hair. She had decided to only apply moisturiser until she got to Omaha, and let her skin breathe for a few days, so that saved time too.

15 Minutes later she was dressed, packed and ready to go. She knocked on the adjoining door and entered Sheldon's room. He was still in his bathroom. Penny sat on his bed and waited for him, he hadn't heard her enter his room and when he walked into his room.

He startled when he saw her sitting on his bed, he hadn't expected her to be ready so quickly. He looked at her and she looked more attractive than normal he thought, she should wear no makeup more often.

The train to Omaha was due to leave Sacramento at 11.09am, and Penny and Sheldon were at the station 30 minutes before the train was to depart.

They would spend two nights on this train, arriving into Omaha very early Friday morning.

The train arrived at the station and they boarded their carriage, the porter took them to their rooms, except there was only one.

"Excuse me," Sheldon said to the porter as he went to leave, "but you have obviously made a mistake."

"Sorry Mr Cooper, but your tickets are for berths 4A and 4B, and there is berth 4A." he pointed to the lower bunk, "and 4B, he pointed to the top bunk."

"It's Dr Cooper, " when he got excited his Texan drawl came out "and no, I purchased two rooms, one for me and one for Penny." he showed the porter his tickets again.

"I'm sorry Dr Cooper but you haven't, you purchased two bunks"

"How could I purchase one bunk? Would I have to share my room with a stranger?"

"No Dr Cooper, we would only make up the one of the bunks for you, you only paid an extra $50.00 for the extra bunk."

"Well you have to find a room for Penny." Sheldon extended his height and looked down at the porter trying his best to intimidate him.

"I'm sorry Dr Cooper we are fully booked."

"No, this is not acceptable, Penny cannot be in my room."

The porter looked at Penny, he would share a room with her, what is this guys problem?

"Sheldon, calm down sweetie." and she looked at the porter and smiled at him, "Thank you, we'll sort this out."

"If you could fill this in and leave it on your doorknob, I will come by and collect it later" he left the paperwork on the table and shut the door behind him.

"Penny I checked it twice, I purchased two rooms."

"Sheldon, it doesn't matter there are two separate beds, we just have to share the room. You obviously didn't understand that you booked two bunks not two rooms."

"Didn't understand, Penny I have an IQ of."

"I know 187." Penny sat on the bottom bunk, "This will be fun Sheldon," she pat the space next to her "see this can be your spot."

Sheldon sat next to her, "Change places," they swapped seats "this is better."

Penny and Sheldon sat silently on the seat, very soon the train started to pull away from the station and they were on their way to Omaha.

Sheldon broke the silence first.

"Penny, on this trip to Omaha with you for your class reunion. What role am I to play? Am I a friend? Am I a boyfriend?"

Penny thought he knew what role she needed for him to play, she looked at him "Well I was hoping that you would play the part of my boyfriend."

"I thought so." he looked away from her, his head downcast, he closed his eyes. He knew that Penny had promised no hand holding, but he was sure that she would ask him to hold her hand at least once during the class reunion.

"Sheldon, I thought you understood."

He looked at her. "No physical contact at all, no hand holding."

"We will dance together?"

"Penny you know I don't dance."

"Please Sheldon."

"Penny what do I get in all of this?"

"We came by train?" she answered but is was more of a question that wasn't that enough.

"Penny I will play the part of the boyfriend for you whilst we are in Omaha, but on one condition."

"Anything sweetie."

"You promise that when we return to Pasadena that you will return to study."

"Study what?"

"Whatever you like."

"But I want to be an actress Sheldon, I won't give up on it."

"Very well, then study that."

"Sheldon I'm not like you."

"Meaning?"

"I was really bad at school, it wasn't easy for me."

"Penny you are intelligent enough, you just need to apply yourself."

"It was easy for you."

"Easy? Can you imagine going to college at the age of 11? Can you imagine going overseas at the age of 15 and being the travelling professor? "

"Were you lonely Sheldon?"

"I had my work, as I do now. But I saw their jealously and envy Penny, no the work was easy for me granted, but nothing else was. I came from a home where my father was more interested in the local bar than his children, where my mother turned to Jesus to help her through, where my accomplishments were never awarded the same respect as my brother's on the football field. No it was never easy for me."

"Sheldon, I'm sorry I know your childhood wasn't easy, but we all have things in our lives that we have had to bear. Your life now is filled friends and you are at the top of the ladder in your field and you have the love of your mother, she does love you Sheldon."

Penny grabbed his hand, half expecting him to pull it away, but he didn't. She didn't hold it long remembering her promise to him. She stood up and walked into the bathroom, she washed her face with cold water. She walked back into the cabin and saw the Sheldon had taken out his laptop and started at work.

"I promise Sheldon that I will enrol in some classes to better myself when I return to Pasadena."

He looked up and her and smiled and then returned to his work.


	5. Chapter 5

"I don't know about you Sheldon, but I'm am hungry, come on let's go get some lunch," Penny grabbed her purse. "my treat."

"You know I am a little hungry, also it isn't very often you pay for food, I can't miss this opportunity."

They left their compartment and walked the small way to the cafe carriage, it was lunch time so all the tables were full except one, Penny couldn't believe her luck until she reached it and saw the mess, there was no way Sheldon was going to eat at that table.

He walked up behind her and looked at the spilt soft drink, chips, sugar and salt that littered the table. "I hope they keep the kitchen much cleaner that they keep their tables."

"No problem Sheldon I'll get someone to come clean it, you wait here and guard it."

"Guard it, who would want it?" Sheldon looked at her as though she was mad, who would want this dirty table. He couldn't even look at it.

Penny returned with a lady who cleared away the mess and then proceeded to wipe the table with a cloth rag that she had in her hand, and without a word to either of them she walked away.

"Well she might as well have left it as it was, that cloth rag probably carries no end of disease and bacteria."

"I know sweetie, which is why I bought these with us." Penny pulled out a tub of disinfectant wipes and cleaned the table again.

"Thank you Penny."

"So, what's to eat."

When the waitress came to take their lunch order Sheldon ordered a turkey and cheese on rye and Penny a chicken salad, just as the waitress was to leave the table Sheldon cleared his throat and said "Excuse me."

The waitress turned to look at the lanky physicist with a bored expression on her face

"I need to make sure that my food is not touched with any human hands." he then pulled out of his bag a set of food preparation gloves and gave them to the waitress. "Please ask them to use these."

The waitress looked at the gloves in her hand and then back at Sheldon, she placed them in her pocket and walked anyway.

Sheldon inhaled sharply when he saw that she placed the gloves into her pocket. "They are next to useless now." he went to grab another set out of his bag but Penny stopped him.

"Sweetie, remember don't piss off the people that prepare your food."

Sheldon looked at Penny then back at the waitress who was now serving another table. "But Penny."

"Look, we are going to be on this train for two nights, you will need to eat lunch, dinner tonight and breakfast, lunch and dinner tomorrow night, surely you realised that you wouldn't be able to control your food when you decided to take on this journey. Now if we had gone by plane I could have prepared some food for the journey, it was your choice to come by train."

Sheldon sullying looked at Penny he knew she was right, but he hated to know that people were touching his food, people that hadn't disinfected their hands properly, but he also knew he had two choices, either take the chance, or not eat, and he was hungry.

When the waitress returned with their food Sheldon looked at it for tell tale signs of contamination, their were none.

The food served was actually very nice and soon their lunch was over, Penny ordered a coffee and Sheldon a buttermilk for afterwards.

Penny poured the sugar into her coffee and watched it slowly break through the creme on the top.

"Sheldon, can I ask you a personal question?"

"You can ask, whether I choose to answer will be another matter." he took a sip of his buttermilk.

"Do you mind that Amy is seeing another guy?"

"No, why would I? She was never my girlfriend Penny, I don't know why people cannot understand that Amy was never my girlfriend, she is my friend that is a girl, just like you Penny."

"Ok, but you don't see her anymore. Don't you miss her company?"

"We still Skype on a regular basis."

The conversation stopped and Penny really didn't know what else to say, she looked out the window, it was a wet day outside and the rain was beating against the train.

Sheldon finished his drink and stood up. "Penny I'm going to return to the compartment, thank you for lunch."

"You're welcome sweetie. I might just hang back here for a little longer, see you later."

XXXX

Sheldon took the bottom bunk, something about childhood memories gave him an aversion to top bunks. Penny climbed up the ladder and got comfortable. It was only 9.30pm, but apparently Sheldon was sleepy and needed to go to sleep. Penny on the other hand wasn't and as she slipped under the covers she grabbed a magazine to read. Sheldon turned his light off and settled down for the night.

"Penny, you are the first person since I left home that I have shared a bedroom with."

"Oh gee, lucky me."

"All through college I had my own room and when I travelled to Heidelberg I boarded with one of the Professor's and his family, I had my own room."

"So you didn't get in on with any of the girls?"

"Get it on what?"

"Sheldon, did you ever kiss anyone when you were in college?"

"Penny I was 11 when I entered college, 14 when I finished. I was 15 when I travelled to Germany, I can assure you I did not "get it on".

"Did you ever kiss Amy?"

"Penny what is your fascination with my kissing other people? No, but Amy did kiss me once."

"She did, and she never told me, darn. So did you like it?"

"I didn't dislike it, but I do not like physical contact, even from Amy."

"Perhaps you just haven't met the right person?"

Sheldon shifted in his bed, this conversation was very uncomfortable with him, he wished Penny would just settle down and go to sleep.

"Ok, have you ever fallen in love with anyone?"

Sheldon didn't response for a full minute. "Penny, I am your friend correct?"

"Yes"

"Well I believe that friends do not make other friends do or say things that make them uncomfortable, I find this questioning uncomfortable, good night."


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you all so much for the kind reviews and story alerts and follows, you make me so happy. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Disclaimer- I do not own any of these characters. **

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><p>Sheldon woke early about 6.30am, he got up and went into the tiny shower room, he switched on the shower and got underneath it.<p>

The noise of the shower woke Penny up, she opened the curtains to look outside to see a sunny morning. She had slept very well considering she was on a train that stopped at several stations throughout the night. She sat up and tried to brush away some of the sleep from her eyes.

Then all of a sudden she started to have thoughts she never expected, all she could think about is that Sheldon was naked under that shower. When did she start thinking about Sheldon like that? She blushed. The shower stopped and she could hear Sheldon moving about in the shower room.

Her thoughts turned to the conversation they had just before she turned off the light and fell asleep last night. Sheldon didn't really answer that question. So do you assume that yes he had been in love? Penny wondered who he would have fallen in love with, and if they ever knew? The door to the shower room opened and Sheldon stepped out in his bathrobe. His hair was still wet and tousled and Penny thought that he should always wear his hair that way, she also wondered if she could tempt him to wear it that way on Saturday night at the reunion.

"Good morning Penny."

"Morning Sweetie, it's lovely day."

"Yes, mmm." He wasn't good at small talk. "The shower room is all yours, I have cleaned the shower alcove for you and sanitised the toilet."

"Oh, you shouldn't have." Penny grabbed her bathroom and started the climb down the ladder, except she slipped.

Sheldon grabbed her and stopped her fall. His arms wrapped around her waist, and she grabbed at his forearms to steady herself. She looked into his eyes, his strong blue eyes, then she blushed for the second time that morning.

"Thank you Sheldon, nearly came a cropper there." Penny quickly grabbed her toiletries and shut herself in the shower room. She could still feel his arms holding her, and his forearms were toned, not scrawny liked she assumed they would be. Holy crap on a cracker, what was wrong with her this morning? She can't be having thoughts like this about Sheldon.

Penny showered and dressed and they went to have breakfast. It was eaten quietly, neither really had much to say.

Sheldon broke the silence "Did you know that James Watt did not invent the steam engine as is commonly believed?"

Penny looked up from her food, "No Sheldon I didn't."

"A man named Heron did, he was an Egyptian living in Alexandria about AD62. His invention the aeolopile or "wind-ball" was the first working steam engine. Using the same principles as jet propulsion a steam driven metal sphere spun around at about 1,500 rpm. Sadly it was seen as just a novelty, no-one understood it's practical uses."

"Oh." Penny looked up at Sheldon. She was thinking that his eyes were intensely blue this morning. "Good to know."

"If only Heron knew that the railway had already been invented some 700 years beforehand and the two inventions had been combined we would all probably know his name today."

Penny looked at Sheldon, he was twitching and blinking like he did when he something was bothering him, perhaps he was still trying to come to terms with actually having touched her this morning, whatever it was going on in his head he was not comfortable. He stood up and announced that he had some work to do and would be returning to the compartment.

Penny decided to stay and have another coffee, and let Sheldon calm down, and give her some space from him. She couldn't believe the thoughts she had been thinking about her ex boyfriends room mate, a man that she knows first hand is as Leonard says, "one lab accident away from a super villain". The man that hung her panties out to dry so to speak, Dr Wack-A Doodle himself. Get a grip Penny.

The rest of the day Sheldon seemed determined to work and didn't talk very much, and Penny was happy to continue to keep her distance from him. After they returned from dinner, which was eaten for the most part silently, he was still looking uncomfortable and Penny decided she needed to ask him what was wrong?

"Sheldon, you've been uncomfortable all day sweetie. What's wrong?"

He was packing her bag, as tomorrow morning they would be departing from the train. He turned to look at her. "Nothing's wrong Penny."

"Sheldon, you've been twitching all day that means something is wrong with you. Was it because you grabbed me this morning?"

"Don't be silly Penny, I'm fine there is nothing wrong with me." he twitched even whilst he was talking to Penny, he was a terrible liar.

Penny shrugged her shoulders, "Ok, if you say so Sheldon, but I don't believe you."

"Penny we should turn in, we have to be up at 4.00am tomorrow morning." Sheldon went into the shower room to brush his teeth.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N; I decided to finally give Penny a last name, and names to all her family.**

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><p>The train pulled into Omaha station only about 10 minutes late. Penny and Sheldon alighted the train, Penny's mom agreed to meet them at the station and Penny saw her immediately.<p>

Penny's mom was just a slightly chubbier, shorter and older version of Penny, her blonde hair and green eyes were passed down to her daughter.

Sheldon even without having seen her before knew that this lady coming up to hug him was Penny's mom.

"You must be Sheldon." She hugged him tightly, Sheldon let out an involuntary "eeek".

"Mom, mom" Penny could feel Sheldon's discomfort, "Sheldon doesn't like physical contact."

Penny's mom still hugging Sheldon looked at Penny with a surprised expression.

"Oh, well Sheldon my name is Pamela, I'm Penny's mom." she released her grip and held out her hand to shake his.

"of any kind." Penny concluded.

"Oh, well, well, nice to meet you Sheldon." she turned to Penny, "come here honey give your momma a hug, you still like hugs right?"

Penny threw her arms around her mother, "Especially from my mom."

Penny jumped in the front seat and Sheldon in the back one. He hadn't said a word since arriving at Omaha, Penny turned to look at her friend, he was still twitching, and he looked very uncomfortable indeed.

"So Sheldon, or can I call you Shelly?

"You can call me Sheldon." he didn't mean it to sound rude, but Shelly was not a name that he liked.

"OK." Pamela continued, "Penny tells me you are a scientist, a real clever one too."

"Mom, Sheldon is a physicist." Penny turned to and smiled at Sheldon, "and he is more than real clever mom, he has an IQ of 187, he is a genius."

"I am a theoretical Partical Physicist Mrs Collins, studying string theory at Caltech. I have two PHD's and a masters degree."

"A genius hey. Well whatever, you are welcome to our home." she turned into the driveway of the house, it was a white wooden double story house, with a large tree in the front yard and set a little off the road. The sun was just coming up, the drive to the house took less than 5 minutes.

"Christy is back in Omaha Penny." Pamela said.

"Christy, well we are no longer on speaking terms not after her visit to Pasadena." Penny turned to Sheldon. "You remember Christy don't you Sheldon."

"Of course, and your delightful regales of the Whore of Omaha."

"Yep, yep you remember her." Penny smiled at her mom who had turned to look at Sheldon.

Penny entered the house that she left all those years ago, it hadn't changed, it never changes.

"Your father is on a fishing trip with the boys, he is due back this afternoon. Meg is asleep I would say, and Dirk, well you know where Dirk is." Pamela opened the blinds to let light into the small living room. It was furnished with "country classic" style of furniture and above the fake fire was a stuffed fish, testimony to Wyatt's fishing skills.

Sheldon stood and looked about the room, it reminded him of his mother's house, just slightly smaller and not as tidy, magazines were not returned to the magazine holders but rather casually strew about the room. On the sofa were remote controls for the television and DVD rather than in a holder. There were several empty glasses on one of the tables, obviously from the night before. No wonder Penny's apartment is such a study in chaos.

Penny looked at Sheldon. "Well mom, I think I might show Sheldon his room."

"Ok, I'll put the kettle on, you want a cup of tea Sheldon?"

"Yes please, heated to 180 degrees."

"What?" Pamela walked into the kitchen, what has Penny got herself into, a man she can't touch, a so called genius, that wants his tea at a specific temperature. She going to have to have talk with her little girl, this man is not for her.

XXXXXXXXXX

"So Sheldon this will be your room, you will have to share the bathroom with everyone, please don't make it uncomfortable for me, you can sanitise to your hearts content before and after you use it, just don't tell everyone, don't even tell me." she pulled the blind up and opened the window to let some fresh air in.

Sheldon placed his bag on the bed, this was obviously the missing Dirk's old bedroom. Sheldon unfolded the sheets he brought with him and started to remake the bed.

Penny watched him for a moment then decided to leave him to his "craziness". "When you are finished mom is making a cup of tea you might want to come downstairs."

"Thank you Penny, I'll be right down, just after I cleaned all the surfaces in the room, he grabbed out of his bag a cloth and some liquid cleaner.

"Just don't tell my mom you re-cleaned her clean room, she won't understand."

Penny shut the door and lent against the frame, what was she thinking bringing Sheldon to Omaha.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Penny how did you get mixed up with this fella, with his no touching,and 180 degrees cups of tea?" Pamela asked as she poured the milk into the cups.

"He lives across the hall from me, and he is Leonard's room mate. He really is a nice guy even though a little eccentric."

"So you and him, are you?"

"No mum, we aren't"

"Doesn't he like girls either?" Pamela laughed.

"Mum, he's just a little different than the boys around here." Penny knew that bringing Sheldon here was wrong, and why did she feel a need to protect him from everyone.

Pamela laughed, "Yes just a little. So tell me why if you and he are not a couple did you invite him?"

"I didn't want to come alone, then I would be a total failure, no career, no boyfriend."

"Ok, so why do you think he came with you?"

Penny thought about it, surely it wasn't just to boast to her friends, really Sheldon didn't need validation from Penny's friends, and really it can't just be the chance to let her old friends to meet a possible Nobel Prize winner. So why did he really?

"Because he's my friend, and he got to go on the train, I don't know mum, how about I go upstairs and ask him."

"I don't think it's anything about travelling on a train, is it possible this boy has an eye for you."

Penny heard the stairs crick "ssshh, he's coming."

Pamela looked up to see Sheldon walk into the kitchen. "Here we go Sheldon, grab a seat and have a cup of tea, did you guys want anything to eat for breakfast?"

"Hey Sheldon want do you have for breakfast? " Penny asked

"Cereal, I eat cereal on Fridays, do you have 2% milk Mrs Collins?"

"Um, not to sure there Sheldon, but if there is some milk in the fridge, help yourself."

"It's ok Sheldon, we can go to the store and grab your milk for you." Penny could see that the offer of the milk that's in the fridge was not a viable answer for Sheldon.

"Mum just going to borrow your car and Sheldon you come with me."

Penny drove Sheldon to the local store that was just opening up for the day, she told him to stay in the car and she ran in and got his preferred milk, as well as the cereal he liked.

They returned to the house just in time for Meg, Penny's sister to walk into the kitchen in her pyjamas but what Sheldon would determine to be her underwear.

"Hey hun." Penny hugged her sister "Meg, this is Dr Sheldon Cooper, he is my next door neighbour and a very good friend, " she looked at her mother when she said that last bit, then she continued " Sheldon agreed to accompany me tomorrow night for the school reunion.

Meg looked up at the cute guy Penny brought with her from Pasadena, he didn't look at Meg, instead he was looking at Penny.

"Nice one Penny, and a doctor."

"He's a double doctor Meg." Pamela explained.

"So you're Dr Dr Sheldon." Meg asked with a smile.

"No just Dr Sheldon Cooper," he replied completely unaware of Meg's mockery. "and I have a master's too."

"He's cute too." Meg stood up and gave Sheldon a good once over look.

Sheldon looked at Penny, horrified to be proclaimed "cute".

"Meg shut up now." Penny yelled at her sister "Sorry Sheldon, my sister often talks without thinking."

"To talk without thinking is to shoot without aiming," Sheldon replied, but Penny just looked at him blankly.

"It's an English proverb," he continued, but she was still looking at him blankly "oh never mind."

"He's funny too Pen." Meg said sarcastically.

Meg walking around in her underwear was making Sheldon uncomfortable and Penny knew it.

"Hey Meg sweetie, perhaps you could go put on some clothes."

Meg looked down at her tank top and boy shorts and then at the good Doctor. He was looking everywhere but at her, but mostly at Penny.

"Don't think it's me making your Doctor uncomfortable Pen?"

"Meg, just go up and get into something that covers a little bit more." Pamela said.

Sheldon returned to his room after breakfast citing a need to just do a little work. Meg, Penny and Pamela sat outside on the back porch so they could talk.

"Pen, you and that Dr guy, you know doing it?" Meg asked.

"No Meg, we are not, he is just a friend."

Pamela looked at Penny and then Meg. "Apparently this Dr isn't that into girls Meg."

"That's not true mom, well he just really isn't into relationships, he's not a touching, feely person, he's a man of science."

Meg and Pamela looked at each other and smiled and then Pamela said " But tomorrow night, he is going to be introduced as your boyfriend to your old school friends, and he is happy with that?"

"Yes, he agreed to it. He's a good friend, just helping me out."

"I think he is in love with you Penny, you just can't see it" Meg stood up and walked back inside.


	8. Chapter 8

Penny watched her sister walk back into the house and then she turned to her mom and said.

"Meg has no idea. Sheldon is not in love with me, Sheldon doesn't fall in love."

"He doesn't?" Pamela looked at her daughter with disbelief. "How sad."

"Sheldon has only one love, his work. Mom I've known the man for 5 years now, he has never so much as expressed any interest in anybody other than as a friend. Do you know that he has never initiated even a kiss from anyone?"

"So he's asexual then?" Pamela asked.

"I suppose." Penny just knew that he had no deal.

"Well if that's the case, he can still fall in love." Pamela stood up, it was starting to get quite warm outside and she was tired from her early morning. "I'm off to have a nap, tell your dad to wake me when he comes home, it's lovely to have you home again sweetie, even if it is just for a couple of days." she bent down and kissed the top of her daughters head and walked back into the house.

Penny stood up and took a short walk to the bench that sat at the base of a huge Oak tree that she climbed as a child, whenever she returned home she always felt like that little tomboy again.

She sat down on the bench, it was so much quieter in Omaha, she closed her eyes and basked in the warmth of the early summer morning and the silence, she could easily fall asleep out here, waking up at 4.00am is not for her.

With the sound of approaching steps Penny opened her eyes and she turned to see Sheldon, he sat down beside her.

"That spot ok for you?" Penny teased.

He gave her is look of haughty derision and declined to answer her question.

"Sheldon, why did you come here with me?"

"I told you Penny, because I am your friend and a much better choice than Leonard as an escort to your class reunion."

"I know what you told me, but is that really the only reason?"

"What other reason could there be Penny, really I don't understand why this is so hard for you."

"Ok sweetie."

Penny didn't want to press this anymore, perhaps Sheldon was telling her the truth, perhaps it's only Penny's family that see more into this than there really is. They don't know Sheldon, they really don't understand him. They have just read all his signals incorrectly.

"I'm going to go up for a nap for an hour, will you be alright by yourself?"

"Yes, I might return to my room to do a little more work."

"Hey I thought we could go play Miniature Golf later at the Fun-Plex when my dad gets home. You know you and me versus mum and dad?"

"That could be fun." Sheldon answered.

The afternoon miniature golf was a success and Penny and Sheldon were the victors, afterwards the four of them went to Ted and Wally's for an ice-cream, Wyatt's treat. They returned to the house just after 5.00pm.

"So Sheldon, you fish?" Wyatt asked as the men settled down in the lounge room.

"No sir."

"Never, didn't you fish with your dad?"

"No but he did teach me to shot close enough to a raccoon that it craps itself." Sheldon replied.

Wyatt looked at the strange man child sitting opposite him and thought to himself surely this isn't an upgrade on Leonard, he liked Leonard, why isn't Leonard here?

Penny had gone up to her room to shower and change her clothes, she was exhausted the afternoon nap hadn't helped her and she just wished she could just crawl into the bed and sleep for an eternity.

She came downstairs and walked into the living room, Sheldon was watching a repeat of Star Trek and Wyatt was no where to be seen.

"Hey sweetie the shower's all yours."

He looked up at Penny and smiled. "Thank you Penny." then he turned off the TV and left to have his shower.

Penny walked into the kitchen to find her parents sitting at the kitchen table with their heads locked together and talking in a low voice.

"Watcha doing?" Penny asked.

She startled them, they hadn't heard her walk into the room.

Wyatt looked into the lounge room to check that they were alone.

Penny noticed her father looking for Sheldon, "He's gone upstairs for his shower."

Wyatt cleared his throat, and then spoke. "Penny this young man, he seems a little," he paused looking for the right word "unusual. You two obviously get on well enough and work very well together, I mean I have never seen anyone play miniature golf like you two this afternoon."

"What do you mean?"

"Well you beat the pants of your mom and me. But it was like you were a real professional team today, like you know each other's game so well." Wyatt replied.

"So? We played a good game today that's all. He's my Halo partner dad, we play that together, I've also joined all the guys on paintball once or twice, always on Sheldon's team, we know how to play together so we win."

"I like Leonard better, why can't you go back to Leonard?" Wyatt only wanted the best for his little slugger.

Penny looked at her parents, they were both looking at her in anticipation of her reply.

"Mom, dad. Please believe me when I say that I am not going out with Sheldon, we are friends, that is all. I can almost 100% guarantee you that he isn't interested in a relationship, now can we leave this, I am sick of talking about it."

Later when Penny was in her room getting ready for bed there was a knock at her door, her mom popped her head in and said, "Goodnight sweetie." she was just about to close the door but then decided to enter the room instead, she closed the door behind her quietly.

"Yeah mom?" Penny was dog tired she just wanted to go to sleep.

"I noticed something today that your dad didn't."

"And what would that be mom?"

"You said that Sheldon isn't interested in a relationship, but you never said you weren't. Tread carefully sweetie." she kissed Penny on the forehead and left the room.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N- Only a short chapter today, the next one will be longer.**

**Thank you all again for the follows, reviews , favourites - it makes me very happy.**

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><p>Knock, knock, knock, "Penny."<p>

Knock, knock, knock, "Penny."

Knock, knock, knock, "Penny."

Penny opened her eyes, then yelled to Sheldon at the other side of the door. "Go away Sheldon, it's only," she grabbed her clock and looked at the time. "ssssh, oh christ."

Knock, knock, knock, "Penny."

Knock, knock, knock, "Penny."

Knock, knock, knock, "Penny."

"Just a sec." she grabbed a robe and pulled it around herself. "Come in."

Sheldon opened the door and walked into her room, closing the door behind him.

"Penny it is almost 1.00pm in the afternoon, I need you to come downstairs, I have nothing more to talk to your parents. Can you believe they didn't even know that Issac Newton invented calculus, it's no wonder you didn't finish community college."

Penny cleared her throat, "Sheldon my parents lack of calculus knowledge has nothing to do with me not finishing college."

"Community college." he corrected her.

"Ok, community college. Now is there anything else you came in here to talk about other than insulting me."

"Insulting you? How was I insulting you?" Sheldon looked surprised.

"Don't worry about it." Penny opened up her blind and the window. "I'm sorry I slept in so late, I'll just shower and be downstairs in a jiffy."

"Alrighty then. I will be in my room."

As he left Penny turned to watch him leave and under her breath said "And I'm sorry for my parents I left them with you."

"So the reunion starts at 7.30pm, it will take about 20 minutes to get there from here and dad has lent me his car for the night, so I'm going to start to get ready"

Sheldon looked at his watch, "It's only 4.30pm, what could you possibly need to do that would take 2 hours and 40 minutes."

"Oh did I mention I was going to go get my hair done? See you in a bit." she closed the door to his room and trotted down the stairs, she was really looking forward to tonight and she wanted to look her very best.

At exactly 7.10pm Penny walked down the stairs. She was wearing an off the shoulder pink silk dress with a flower motif at the front of it, on her feet were a killer pair of stilettos with a lovely diamante butterfly ornament and she was carrying a satin silver clutch. Sheldon turned to look at her as she entered the room and Penny was certain she saw him twitch, she took it as a good sign and she smiled at him, he looked nice tonight, in his black suit, and he had agreed to wear the soft pink shirt that Penny had bought for him with a black tie.

"Wow look at you two! Hey Pammy come have a look at your little girl." Wyatt was clearly proud of his daughter.

Pamela walked into the lounge room and stood and looked at her daughter, she looked beautiful. "Aww sweetie you look lovely you will be the most beautiful girl there tonight." she hugged Penny.

Penny looked up at her date who was still looking at her. "Ready to go Sheldon?"

As they drove down the road towards the reunion Sheldon turned to Penny and said. "Penny you look very nice tonight." and he looked down at his hands.

Penny smiled and answered. "Thank you Sheldon, you look very dapper yourself. You know you do scrub up very well for a physicist."

"Although those shoes really aren't the best to wear whilst driving. You should wear enclosed flat shoes or wear sneakers, preferably ones without laces that could get caught on the peddles and send us to a fiery death."

"Are you serious, sneakers with this dress!"

They pulled up in the carpark and Penny turned the engine off and then just sat there.

Sheldon sat there quietly for about 1 minute and then said. "So we just sit in the car all evening, seems a waste that you went out and bought a new dress and shoes."

Penny started to laugh, then went silent for about 30 seconds. "I'm really nervous and I don't know why Sheldon."

"Penny did I tell you that you look very attractive tonight, I noticed that you aren't wearing much makeup."

Penny turned and looked at Sheldon "Well you mentioned it on the train that I looked better without it, so I thought if my boyfriend, I meant if you think I look better with little makeup and you came all the way here for me, well then."

Sheldon looked at Penny "It suits you."

"Thank you sweetie. Well you ready?"


	10. Chapter 10

As Penny and Sheldon entered her old school gym so many memories flooded back to her. She walked up to the greeting table and grabbed her name tag. One of the first people she bumped into was Christy.

Obviously Christy was unaware that Penny was no longer talking to her, as she grabbed Penny and hugged her like an old friend

"Penny, hi hunny." then Christy looked up at Sheldon and said "I know you."

"Christy you remember my boyfriend, Dr Sheldon Cooper."

"Oh if it isn't, seriously you're going out with him?" she obviously remembered him "Anyways Pen how is the acting going, how's Howard, still as hot as ever?

Penny talked to Christy for about 5 minutes and then broke away and returned to Sheldon. "Sorry sweetie, that girl obviously doesn't know I don't talk to her anymore."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So after I had the nose corrected, well I thought why not go the whole way, so I did."

"Yes you did, didn't you Anna-Mae." Penny smiled.

"I'm called Anthony Fletcher now, you know since the operation."

Penny looked her old friend up and down, just that she was now a he.

"Oh, Anthony where are my manners, this is my boyfriend, Sheldon Cooper. He is a Physicist at Caltech.

"A physiotherapist?"

"Oh dear lord," Sheldon replied.

Penny knew how to keep Sheldon quiet, she grabbed his hand, he just froze and shut up.

"Well Anthony, it's been lovely to catch up with you again." Penny turned away from Anthony and quickly walked towards the bar, Penny's hands still in Sheldon's dragging him behind.

About 50 metres away from the bar Penny was confronted by an old boyfriend, Tucker Garland. Tucker was the star quarterback, they were Mr and Mrs Popular in High School. Tucker was still playing football, he had married the head cheerleader, they had 4 kids and then he left her with them all when he moved in with a barmaid he met at his local bar.

"Well, well, well if it is Penny Collins, my my Penny, as beautiful as always." and then he grabbed her arse.

"Excuse me!" Sheldon called out.

"Sweetie, how about you go get as a diet coke each." she turned to Sheldon.

He reluctantly left her with Tucker.

"Penny, you've left the jocks and going for the geek guys now? Shame to waste such a body on a dork like him." he looked at Sheldon pushing his way through the crowd with his hands in the air.

"Tucker Garland, you haven't changed one bit have you. You are still an immature, self-centred arse wipe, and I was well rid of you in high school and I am well rid of you now."

"Penny, what's that guy got that I don't," he leaned up and whispered in her ear. "I've still got it girl, and I remember you liked to ride it."

"Used to, yes, but I grew up and sadly it appears you haven't. Now if you will excuse me my boyfriend is waiting for me, and FYI he is 10 times the man you will ever be."

She turned to leave but he grabbed at her and swung her around with such a force that Penny toppled over.

She didn't see Sheldon punch Tucker, but she did see Tucker punch Sheldon.

Penny applied the ice pack to Sheldon's eye. "Oh sweetie I am so sorry."

"I told you Penny it's ok, I don't know what possessed me to strike out." Sheldon sat on the chair in kitchen of Penny's parents, he leaned his head back to let her apply the ice pack.

"Tucker was an idiot at high school, I should have realised that he wouldn't change."

"Penny I want to go to bed now if you don't mind."

"Sure sweetie, whatever." She took the pack of ice off Sheldon's eye, it looked badly bruised but the emergency room doctor told them that it was just that, bruising. "Did you want me to sing you Soft Kitty Sheldon?"

Sheldon stood up and thought about it for about 20 seconds. "Yes please Penny."

"Ok sweetie, well you get changed into your pyjamas and I'll be in there soon. She emptied the ice pack into the sink and turned all the lights off in the house, then walked upstairs, changed into her pyjamas and knocked on Sheldon's door.

She sat next to Sheldon and sang Soft Kitty to him. He closed his eyes. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek right on his bruise. He opened his eyes and looked at her.

She pulled back, "I'm sorry Sheldon, I don't know what possessed me." and she smiled at him.

"Penny! I said no touching and you have held my hand twice tonight and now this."

"It was just that you were my hero tonight and the hero always get a kiss from the girl."

Sheldon thought about it for a while and then said "Yes you are right, ok."

"I have a secret to tell you Sheldon. I promised Leonard I wouldn't tell you, he is having a party tonight."

"What! That goes against the Roommate Agreement, both parties have to be present at any party given by the other party."

"Honey it doesn't matter."

"But Penny he will wreck the apartment, they will be going through my comic book collection as we speak, I have to phone him now." Sheldon pushed the blankets back and started to get out of his bed.

"Sheldon, don't worry about it, Leonard told me that he will not let anyone in you room, he promised me he would make sure it didn't get out of hand."

Sheldon leaned back on his pillow and brought the blankets back over his legs.

"If you say so."

"So Sheldon I told you my secret, your turn to tell me yours?"


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: A very short chapter today. I am struggling with the next one, so it might be a few days or more before the next. Thanks again for the reviews etc it's make my day.**

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><p>"Penny I don't have any secrets."<p>

Penny looked at Sheldon, she wasn't buying that one. "Yeah, sure you don't, so why are you twitching right now?"

"I'm not." and he looked away from her. "Penny I'm tired and I'm sore I want to go to bed."

"Leonard's been whistling in the apartment whilst you've been away." She had to say something to get his attention.

"Whistling?"

Penny nodded to him, "I bet he is whistling at the party."

"I don't care, leave me alone Penny I need to go to sleep."

Sheldon wasn't going to share his secret with her, there was only one thing left to do, straight out ask. "Sheldon have you ever been in love?"

"I love my mother, my meemaw."

Penny interrupted him, "No have you ever fallen in love?"

"Not this again Penny!"

"Just answer the question and I will not ask it again."

Sheldon sat up and looked down at his hands, he licked his lips, then he looked straight into Penny's eyes. "Yes Penny I did once fall in love. Now leave me alone, i don't want to talk to you about this, it's makes me very uncomfortable."

Penny couldn't believe her ears. "Did the other person know?"

"Penny please you have your answer."

"Did the other person know Sheldon?"

"No, now leave me alone." he tossed himself back onto the bed and turned away from her. "Turn the light out on your way out."

Penny stood up and decided that she should leave it, it was clearly Amy he was talking about and it seems to hurt him still, but Penny can't leave things be. She sat back on the bed and placed her hand on Sheldon's shoulder.

"Sweetie, it is Amy isn't it?"

"No it's not Amy."

"Oh, you sure?"

Sheldon turned to look at Penny. "I think I would know, now please leave me be Penny." he turned away from her again.

"Do I know the person?"

"Penny please I am very uncomfortable with this conversation."

"Sweetie I just want to help."

"How does this help? I know how you can help, you can help by leaving me alone."

Penny came to a realisation, she knew who Sheldon was in love with. "It's Leonard isn't it?"

Sheldon sat up in the bed and looked at Penny. "It isn't Leonard, or Raj or Howard."

"Isn't, not wasn't, so you are still in love with this person?"

"Penny, please."

"Well it certainly isn't me?" she laughed.

Sheldon looked at her and said nothing, he didn't reply and he didn't react to the question.

He sat there for about 30 seconds and then he said "Penny, I am very tired I need to go to sleep, I came here as your friend, I paid for the train tickets and the hotels, I even got my first black eye because of you, all I ask is that you leave me in peace, please."

Penny closed the door of her old bedroom behind her and flopped onto her bed. It was only 11.00pm, she grabbed her phone and rang Leonard, she had to talk to someone, someone that could help her with this.


	12. Chapter 12

"Penny did Sheldon tell you that?" Even though it was Leonard's party he wasn't drinking, he was too worried that if he got drunk and someone happened to go into Sheldon's room or damaged the apartment in any way he would never hear the end of it, and that kept him sober.

"Well not in so many words Leonard. Has he ever told you who he is in love with?"

"We are talking about Sheldon here, he doesn't talk about feelings Penny."

"But I am so certain that he meant me. I mean he didn't exactly say it was me, but I could see it in his eyes."

"Penny is there something here that you aren't telling me? My god I cannot believe I am asking you this, but are you in love with him?" he placed his head in his hands.

Penny thought for a while. Is being in love looking forward to seeing a person every day? Is being in love thinking about that person when they aren't with you? Is being in love just wanting to be with that person? Is being in love wanting that person in your life forever?

"Yes I am, " she started to cry. "oh good what a fool I am."

Leonard didn't know what to say or what to think, the woman that he had hoped he would one day be able to call his own, had just told him that she is in love with his best friend and room mate. Why couldn't she have loved him?

Finally he replied to Penny "You're not a fool Penny." he didn't know what else to say, he blinked away his tears, he was so glad he came into the hall to take this call away from all the others.

Leonard closed his eyes. "Penny, I can't help you here."

Penny could hear the pain in Leonard's voice.

"Leonard, I'm sorry I never meant to hurt you. "

"Penny, you and Sheldon are going to have to work this one out yourselves." and with that he hung up.

Oh god, why did she have to move into that stupid apartment?

Why did she ask Sheldon to come with her? She knew the reason, she wanted people to think that he was her boyfriend, because she wanted him to be.

The next morning Penny woke early, showered, dressed and went downstairs to the kitchen to get her morning coffee. Looking out the kitchen window she could see Sheldon sitting under the Elm tree in the backyeard. She wanted to go out and talk to him, but she really didn't know what to say. They were due to leave Omaha tomorrow for the longest leg of the journey. If she could take back time she would, she knew that she had altered their friendship for ever.

Meg walked into the kitchen, Penny hadn't noticed her. Meg looked at Penny and followed her line of sight, Sheldon.

"Penny for your thoughts." Meg joked.

"Gees , Meg, you scared me, sorry was miles away."

"Don't think you were that far away sis, perhaps 20 metres under a certain Elm tree sitting with a certain guy." she opened the fridge and grabbed the milk and poured it into her coffee cup.

Penny turned to look at her sister. "Very funny."

"So how was last night, did you two go parking afterwards Pen?"

"With Sheldon, god no. Meg he's just a friend really."

Meg smiled at her sarcastically. "Friend my arse, ok so when I walked in the kitchen just now, why were staring at him, answer me that?"

Penny opened the pantry in a feign attempt to ignore her sister's question. "MMM no Apple Jacks, mom always has Apple Jacks."

"So Pen, you didn't answer my question. Oh look here he comes. He is quite cute there Penny, bit of a strange one though, but yeah I can see the attraction."

"Meg! OH well I best go and, " Penny quickly left the kitchen.

"Disappear." Meg watched Penny run up the stairs. "You can't stay in your room all day you know." Meg turned and smiled at Sheldon as he walked into the kitchen. "Oh my god what happened to you?"

Sheldon looked at Meg "I got into a fight with I believe an old boyfriend of Penny's."

"You did, didn't you." Meg raised her hand to touch Sheldon's cheek where he was bruised.

He pulled away from her. "What are you doing?"

"I was just going to touch your bruise there Sheldon."

"Well I would rather you didn't. I don't like being touched."

"At all?" Meg asked.

"At all!" he replied.

"Woo! You must be a riot in the sack." she laughed.

"Sack? Oh as in a potato sack, I don't participate in potato sack races. Why would you think I do?" Sheldon looked at Meg and shook his head.

Meg looked at him, is he serious she was thinking to herself. "OMG!"

Just then Pamela and Whyatt walked into the kitchen.

"Good morning, my god Sheldon what happened to you?" Pamela asked " Did Penny punch you?"

Meg laughed "Hilarious mom, just don't try to touch him you'll freak him out."

Sheldon looked at Meg with his look of delrision and then replied to Pamela. "No I believe it was an old boyfriend of Pennys, he was manhandling her and I stepped in."

Pamela looked at Sheldon, her daughter's hero. "Did you need any antiseptic on that at all Sheldon, I can seen some grazing there."

Sheldon touched his bruise and felt for the grazing. "Yes please Mrs Collins."

"Well you just take a seat my lad and I'll go get the cream." she walked to the laundry.

Wyatt sat next to Sheldon, "What happened buddy?"

"Buddy? You mean me?" Sheldon pointed to himself. Whyatt nodded yes.

"I believe that one of Penny's old boyfriends was at the reunion last night, and he and Penny exchanged some words and when she turned to walk away he grabbed her forcefully and knocked her to the ground. Then I punched him, and then he punched me, much harder."

"Was it that Tucker Garland joker?" Whyatt asked.

"I believe that is his name."

Pamela walked back into the room and placed the antiseptic creams and cotton balls on the table "You want me to do that Sheldon or you want to do it yourself.".

"I'll do it." Penny said as she walked back into the kitchen.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N = Another shorter chapter this time, getting towards the end of the story now.

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><p>Penny moved closer to the table and grabbed the cotton balls and the antiseptic cream. She placed a small amount of the cream on the ball and turned to look at Sheldon. He was sitting down in one of the kitchen chairs, his eyes were a darker blue than normal this morning and were intensely looking at Penny watching her every move.<p>

"Well, Ok, Whyatt I think you and I need to go have our coffee under the tree out back." Pamela rounded up her husband and then touched Meg on the shoulder and said "Meg come join us."

Penny watched as they all walked out the back and out to the tree, she could see her mother talking to her father but she couldn't hear what she was saying. Penny turned her gaze to Sheldon he was still looking at her. She looked down at the cotton ball in her hand.

"I need you to sit on the table Sheldon, so that you be at the right height for me."

Sheldon did as Penny asked and sat on the table, without questioning.

Penny squeezed the tube of cream a little more onto the cotton ball in her hand, she then looked straight into Sheldon's eyes, he hadn't uttered one word since she entered the room. Slowly she moved the cotton ball to his face, all the time looking straight into his eyes.

Penny was nervous and hesitate to touch Sheldon's face for fear that by touching him this once she may never want to stop. Gently she applied a little of the cream on to one of the grazes on Sheldon's face. He closed his eyes as Penny touched his face, when she finished and pulled away he opened his eyes once more and looked straight into hers.

"Sheldon, tell me I was wrong last night, and I will never talk about it again." she spoke almost in a whisper.

Sheldon just continued to look at her not offering anything to the conversation.

Penny licked her lips and took a deep breath, she looked away from Sheldon towards the window and out to the tree where her family were all sitting. Her eyes started to mist over and she bite her bottom lip, a tear dropped onto her cheek and then another.

"I don't know what to do if you cry." Sheldon at last spoke.

Penny wiped the tears away with both her hands.

"Sheldon I love you, I can't tell you when I fell in love with you, it seems to have been a part of my life for a very long time now."

"I believe it is social etiquette to offer those same words in return, but I cannot, " Sheldon stood up and moved closer to Penny. He was standing right up next to her. "Not for that reason anyway. I want to say it because I want to, not because it's expected. Penny you were wrong last night, when you said "It certainly isn't me", it is you Penny has been for years now."

Penny looked up and smiled, she wrapped her arms around his waist and placed her head on his chest, she felt at home, she felt safe, she felt secure. But Sheldon didn't wrap his arms around her, instead he stood there rigid not really knowing what to do.

Penny looked up at Sheldon. "Sheldon we have just told each other that we love each other, now would be a good time to hug me."

Sheldon lifted his arms, he clenched his fists and then unclenched them and he slowly and carefully wrapped his arms around Penny. She responded by tightening her grip. They stood there for about one minute just holding each other, then Penny began to pull away, Sheldon then dropped his arms back to his sides, he was fidgeting a sure sign that he was uncomfortable.

"I need to finish applying this cream Sheldon, you best sit down again."

Again Sheldon didn't argue and sat on the table. Penny slowly move the cotton ball to his face and applied it gently to the second graze on his face. She dropped the ball and glided her fingers along his cheekbone, then she moved in and kissed him on the lips very softly, he didn't respond much other than closing his eyes. She kissed him again, still not getting a response from him. She pulled away and he opened his eyes.

"Sheldon, do you want to kiss me?"

Sheldon shifted uncomfortably and started to lick his lips and turned his gaze to the ground.

"Penny. I, I, I"

"You don't, do you?" she stepped away from him.

"Penny I'm not like other guys you must know that by now, the idea of trading all that bacteria, I just can't."

Penny blinked at him twice, "Oh, so you love me, but you don't want to kiss me, you can barely hug me and obviously there is no coitus in our future." Penny pushed away from Sheldon. "I think Leonard was wrong last night, I am a fool."

"Leonard, you spoke with Leonard last night?"

"Yes, I wanted to ask him some advice."

"Did he mention anything about any damage to the apartment? Did anyone go in my room?"

"Christ Sheldon." she lifted her arms to gesture to him to stop talking, then she turned away and left the room.


	14. Chapter 14

Sheldon sat on Dirk's bed, he should be packing for the journey back to Pasadena, a journey that since he booked the tickets he has been looking forward to, the Southwest Chief is unique amongst all long distance passenger trains as it is permitted to run up to a maximum of 90mph (145km/h) along significant portions of the route,a fact not lost on the beautiful mind of Dr Cooper. Instead his mind was elsewhere and his stomach is tied into knots and for once in his life he didn't have the answer to the baffling question that keeps coming to the forefront of his mind. What to do about Penny.

Ever since Sheldon can remember he hasn't enjoyed physical contact with others, it isn't the contact itself that he is adverse to, no it is the germs that certainly transfer from one person to another. When Sheldon was growing up and watched his brother and sister hug their meemaw without the worry of germ transfer Sheldon wished that he too could do the same, instead his beloved meemaw knew to expect just an awkward handshake, or at best half a hug from her favourite grandchild.

But Sheldon has come a long way in just the four and a half years that he has known Penny, he has hugged her three times, the last one being just this morning. Their first hug took place when Penny gave him his Leonard Nimoy napkin, that hug was very awkward, but with their second hug other than the duration he believed he did it just right. The only concern Sheldon felt now is that on the second hug, Penny had indeed transferred germs and he ended up with the flu, not something he wants to repeat in a hurry, hence his return to the awkward hug this morning.

Would Penny perhaps be adverse to wearing a surgical mask during any hugs? He could always clean his hands after the hug, or better yet shower. Would Penny be offended if every time they hugged he ran off to shower? Very likely, no not a viable solution.

But it isn't just the hugging that he is so concerned about, it's kissing and what goes beyond that. Will he ever be able to just close off his mind and let Penny kiss him?

He knew the answers to everything in the world except this.

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><p>Penny sat on the bench on the back porch with a glass of white wine to her right. Her parents had taken Meg out with them to do some grocery shopping, Penny knew it was really just to give Sheldon and her some privacy,after their words this morning Sheldon had retreated to him room and she hadn't seem him. A song keeps popping into Penny's head, A Fine Romance, indeed with no kissing.<p>

Penny knew that their future lay in Sheldon's hands. What was his problem really, I mean they had hugged at least three times that Penny could remember, they sit next to each other all the time on the couch, why can't he just take that small step to kiss her? Penny knows that Sheldon is a complete whack-a-doodle, but over the years that she has known him, he has relaxed a little more. He wouldn't even shake her hand when she first met him, so there are signs that he will grow more and more used to her wanting physical touch.

Penny closed her eyes and straight away she could imagine herself kissing Sheldon on the lips, down his neck, nibbling at his ears. Will he ever allow her to do that? Will he ever be able to make love to her?

* * *

><p>The back door opened and Sheldon walked over to the bench and sat next to Penny. She took a sip of her wine for courage.<p>

"Penny, I have been thinking about your kiss this morning."

Penny nodded.

"You know me to be a man that doesn't like physical contact, and I know you to be a woman that does. So therein lies our problem, we are polar opposites to each other. There is only one solution to our problem."

Penny waited for him to complete his train of thought, but he seemed to be waiting for her reply.

"Which is?" she asked.

"We have to meet in the middle."

Penny smiled, Sheldon was talking about meeting her half way, he was offering to bend for her, to change his rules, this is monumental.

"I will try to be less restrictive with my adversity to touch and you, you must try to restrain your desire to touch me all the time. Together I believe that we can come to an understanding that is suitable to both."

"Does this touch include coitus?"

Sheldon shifted uncomfortably and he took a deep breath before replying to Penny's question. "I understand that in an exclusive relationship the subject of coitus will eventually be brought up, but I believe that it may still be a way down the track for us."

"Meaning what?"

"I don't believe I am ready to think about coitus, lets deal with the hand holding and kissing first."

Penny didn't take offence at Sheldon's saying he was not ready to think about coitus, he didn't mean that the thought of it with her was repellent, he just meant that in his plan to meet her half way that was the half way mark.

"So do we start now?"

"As good a time as any I suppose." he grabbed at her hand and held it tightly.

Penny turned and smiled at him. Small steps she thought, small steps.


	15. Chapter 15

The next morning Penny and Sheldon had to be at the station at 5.00am to catch the train to Chicago so on the Sunday night the whole family sat around the table and enjoyed a family dinner.

Later in the evening Penny checked that she hadn't forgotten to pack anything when the familiar three knocks sounded on her door.

"Come in sweetie."

Sheldon entered and closed the door behind him. Penny walked up to him and grabbed his hands, he swallowed hard but then looked down at her and smiled.

"Penny we have to be up very early tomorrow I believe it would be prudent for you to go to sleep very soon. Although I myself may suffer from the gravy that we had tonight and find little REM sleep."

"Sheldon, thank you for not being too rigid these last few days, you've made it so much easier for me and my family, oh and I'm sorry I should have warned you not to touch my mom's gravy, it could sink ships."

"Well." he pursed his lips and bent down to her and kissed her on the cheek. "Goodnight Penny, sleep well." and with that he let go of her hands and was out of the door.

Penny brought her hand up to where Sheldon had kissed her, he was really trying.

There was another knock on the door and it was Pamela coming to say goodnight and goodbye to her little girl. Wyatt had agreed to take them to the train station tomorrow morning as Pamela had to work later in the day.

"Well Penny it's been so much fun having you here visiting us, shame it's not for longer"

"Thanks mom, I've really enjoyed myself."

"Sheldon is a strange choice for you Penny. Don't get me wrong I like him, in his own special way."

"Mom, he's a really nice guy once you get a chance to know him better, he can be so sweet. It's just that he isn't terribly worldly, too many years with his head stuffed in books. He certainly isn't the kind of guy I thought I would end up with."

"End up with? So you are serious here Penny, you think this one's a keeper?"

Penny sat on the bed and motioned for her mom to sit next to her. "I do, I think he is the one, and I think I've known it for years, even when I was with Leonard. It's no wonder I couldn't fall in love with anyone, I already was, just I didn't allow myself to believe it."

"Well your father will be slightly disappointed he liked Leonard."

"He doesn't like Sheldon?" Penny asked.

"He could talk to Leonard, I think Sheldon intimidates your father, but he will just have to get used to it _won't he_." Pamela hugged her daughter. "Well goodnight sweetie, and travel safely and good luck, but remember your mom and dad are just here if you ever need us."

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><p>"So you guys sure you got everything? I still have time to make a quick journey back to the house if need be." Penny's dad looked at the young couple standing on the railway platform, <em>oh why couldn't it be Leonard <em>he thought.

"No, not necessary," Sheldon replied. "I triple checked my list and Penny did too, we are good to go."

Penny shed just one tear as the train pulled away from the station and she watched her father turn away and start to walk towards his car. Penny sat back into her seat and looked at Sheldon, who had grabbed out the map that he used on the first leg of the journey, he was telling her all about the journey they were about to take and the sort of countryside they would be passing. When he talks about things that he loves his face lights up and his eyes shine bluer than seems possible. Penny had never known a man like him before.

When they arrived into Chicago in the afternoon, they transferred to their hotel, again Sheldon had arranged two adjoining rooms. Sheldon knocked on the door that joined their rooms.

"Penny I thought if you like we could visit the Adler Planetarium this afternoon if you are up to it."

"Sure, everything you like sweetie." Penny walked into the bathroom to brush her teeth, and wash her face.

"You should find it fascinating, it has the largest and most complete view of the Milky Way and you can see a life size model of the Mars Rover explorer."

"Oh the one that Howard crashed right?"

"Well not the one that Howard crashed obviously that is still on Mars, anyway how did you know that?"

"Well, it doesn't matter." Penny playfully replied.

He continued. "Tomorrow we can go to The Museum of Science and Industry, and I shall be your personal guide."

"Sounds great Sheldon, but I would like to go to Millennium Park too, they have a workshop where you can make your own instruments, sounds fun."

Sheldon looked at Penny with a look of puzzlement on his face.

"This is part of the meeting half way Sheldon, I take an interest in what you like and you take an interest in things that I like." Penny walked up to stand next to him.

"Oh." he brought his hands up to his chest and clasped them together. "Very well then."

Penny smiled at her boyfriend, and grabbed at his hands. She reached up and pecked him on the cheek, then turned away and ran into the bathroom to grab a shower and change.

That evening after they ate dinner in Penny's room, Sheldon retired to his room. Penny was flicking through the channels on the TV and saw that there was a repeat of Star Wars just about to start. She jumped off her bed and knocked on the adjoining door, and walked straight in. Sheldon was sitting on his bed with the TV on, just about to watch Star Wars.

Penny walked up to the edge of the bed. "Don't suppose I could sit on your bed with you?"

Sheldon had to think about her request he kept glancing at the bed and then at Penny. Eventually she got sick of waiting for him and just slowly sat on the bed next to him. "I just want to sit next to you Sheldon sweetie, and perhaps you can hold my hand during the scary bits."

"There are no scary bits in Star Wars." Sheldon replied to her.

"Sure there are, Darth Vader is very scary." Penny smirked at him.

"Very well you can sit next to me on the bed, and even hold my hand when Darth Vader appears." he agreed.

Penny had needed to hold Sheldon's hand most way through the movie.

"Time for bed, night Sheldon, I had a great time today." She leaned over and kissed Sheldon on the cheek, then jumped off the bed and went back to her room.


	16. Chapter 16

"I just can't see this working Penny" Bernadette was on the other end of the phone. "I mean you two are not like me and my Howie. What do you even see in him, and really has he ever looked at another person other than to pass judgement and tell you how much smarter he is than they are."

Penny listened patiently on the other end of the phone, Bernadette had phoned just as Penny was ready to turn off her light, obviously Bernadette had forgotten to take into consideration the time zone differences.

"Bernadette, what do I see in him? His intelligence is very attractive, and he challenges me like no other man ever has before. His eyes are so blue that I could just stare into them forever and you have to admit that he is rather nice looking. But he doesn't love me because of what I look like, he's beyond that and he would be the first man ever that has loved me for me and not for my looks. He makes me feel secure when I am with him, I feel safe, I feel at home with him. His strengths are my weaknesses and I would say he would say the same about me.

The phone line went quiet, "Well if that's how you truly feel Penny then I wish you both the very best."

"It's early days Bernadette, and Sheldon being Sheldon, nothing is simple, but I am willing to wait for him to catch up, because I know when he does it will be the full on fireworks this time."

"So you haven't done it yet?"

"No," Penny laughed, "We are at just pecking each other on the cheek at the moment, moving slowly. We've talked about it and you know Sheldon has a germ phobia, but he is trying, really hard and I will wait for as long as he tries."

"Well we shall see you soon, I think Leonard mentioned about meeting you guys at the station on Thursday morning. Howard will be disappointed that you guys made love not war on your holiday.."

"Night Bernadette, and thanks for the phone call, see you Thursday."

The next day they were out and about very early in order to fit in both requirements for the day. Penny had a great time with Sheldon at The Museum of Science and Industry, although a couple of times she had to tell Sheldon to move right along, he did go into so much detail with every exhibit. Then after lunch they went to Millennium Park and did indeed make instruments, of course Sheldon was very good at not only the making of the instrument but could also play it very well, Penny had a great time.

Their train was scheduled to leave the station at 3.00pm, so they arrived 10 minutes early and were shown to their room, once again Sheldon had only booked two bunks, but he wasn't so concerned this time. Penny took the top bunk and Sheldon the bottom. As the train left Chicago they went to sit in the sightseer lounge car, Penny had a glass of wine and Sheldon a glass of milk.

"Penny this train travels through eight US states, we cross the Mississippi and just one the many towns we travel through is Dodge City, which of course is a famous wild west town."

"We stopping off there?"

"No we will arrive there tomorrow morning at about 5.25am, it is very possible that we will both be asleep."

"More than very possible for me. I'm not having two early mornings in a row. I can tell you I won't see Dodge City." Penny winked at Sheldon.

"We could have taken a transfer from Williams Junction to go visit the Grand Canyon."

"We are?"

"No I said we could have, but we aren't." He shook his head.

After dinner Penny and Sheldon retired to their compartment, Sheldon downloaded a move on his laptop and they sat on Sheldon's bed, which had been made up and watched it together. They held hands all the way through the movie.

After the movie and after brushing her teeth Penny started to climb up the ladder, but Sheldon stopped her.

"Penny did you want to sleep next to me tonight. Just sleep though."

Penny placed one foot on the ground and got off the ladder, she looked at Sheldon lying there, he had opened the blankets up for her to join him and she did.

"Sheldon are we going to cuddle?"

"Yes I think we will." Sheldon hardly got the words out of his month and Penny had placed one arm across his chest, resting her hand on his shoulder, with her right leg she wrapped it around his left leg.

"Comfortable?' she asked. She knew he really wasn't she felt him pull away from her slightly, but he was slowly starting to relax.

"Yes." he replied then closed his eyes to sleep.

When Penny awoke in the morning, she opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was him, sleeping. All they had done last night was cuddle, nothing else, no kissing certainly no petting, yet she felt that they had reached a milestone in their relationship. She smiled at him, at her boyfriend, and resisted the urge to touch his face, though she so wanted too, but she had to wait for him. No other man ever had done was much as Sheldon was doing so that they could be together, her eyes started to tear up and a couple of the tears escaped onto her cheek. She was so happy.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N; Thank you all for the reviews I so appreciate them all, the followers and the alerts too make me very happy. **

**Very short Chapter this time. Only two more after this one to go.**

**Wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.**

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><p>"8.15am." As Penny walked out of the shower room, she saw that Sheldon was on the phone. "Don't be late Leonard, I don't want a repeat of the return from Galveston of 2005." he was listening to Leonard telling him that he was only 5 minutes late in 2005, in fact he can't remember if he was actually late, or whether the train was early on that occasion. "You were late, 8.15am tomorrow, perhaps aim for 8.10 and you might get there on time. Goodbye Leonard."<p>

"The shower is all yours Sheldon."

He turned to face her and smiled at her. "Penny thank you for last night, it actually wasn't so bad cuddling up to you."

Penny smiled, it was meant as a compliment she reminded herself. "You don't have to thank me. It was nice for me too, just cuddling like that Sweetie."

His face softened. "Moonpie, you can call me moonpie if you like, but I would prefer that you used it only when we are alone."

She grabbed at his hands and moved closer to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He blushed, but he didn't pull away, he didn't freeze, he just blushed.

"Only when we are alone moonpie I promise." she replied.

There was a knock at the door, Penny answered it, it was the porter coming in to make up the seats again, Sheldon took this opportunity to go to the shower room. Penny tipped the porter and he left.

When Sheldon finished in the shower room he walked back in the small cabin, his hair was tousled again. "Sheldon, I like your hair like that, it suits you, I think you should style it like that, rather than how you do."

"What is wrong with my hair?" He looked at himself in the mirror, and straight away he started to flatten it.

Oh well, you can't blame a girl for trying Penny thought. "So you hungry?"

They spent the day between reading and watching movies on Sheldon computer. Penny held Sheldon's hand for most of the movies and he never once objected. Later he tried to explain to Penny exactly the purpose of the Large Hadron Collider.

"So do you know understand why the Large Hadron Collider is so important for Physics? "

Penny nodded then added. "I should have let you go that time."

"It doesn't matter, I believe it was our first valentines day together."

Penny laughed, "Yes and an extra special one wasn't it. You know even though we were both ill there was a time when I looked at you that day that I could have just, oh never mind."

"You could have what?"

"Kiss you, Sheldon, I wanted to kiss you." she said as if in a hurry to get it out before she thought about it and didn't say it.

"But you were with Leonard back then?" his face dropped realising exactly what Penny was telling him.

"I know, but he can never know." Penny implored.

"You want me to keep a secret?"

"Sheldon, you are going to have too. This could hurt Leonard, he never needs to know. It is best that he never knows."

Sheldon shock him head in agreement. "I don't want to hurt him Penny, he may be a lesser Physicist, but he is my closest friend. But if he asks me?"

"He will never ask."

"How do you know?" Sheldon was starting to worry.

"Trust me on this please. He will never ask you, if he ever asks anyone it would be me."

Silence filled the cabin, Sheldon started on some work and Penny looked out at the passing scenery.

"Do you want to kiss me now?" Sheldon asked after about 5 minutes silence.

Penny's heart fluttered and her breath caught in her throat. "Yes Sheldon I do. But I want you to kiss me, and I will wait until you do."

Sheldon went quiet and Penny could see that he was thinking about what he wanted to say next.

"Soon Penny I hope." he returned to his work.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: The penultimate chapter. I decided to talk a little from Sheldon's POV this time. Hope you enjoy.**

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><p>If he was honest with himself, there are two reasons Sheldon is worried about kissing Penny. The first is the transfer of germs, and no matter how many times he tells himself that people do it everyday and survive, he always finds horror stories online of people contracting diseases from others. Secondly he had never done it before, and he didn't like the fact that someone knew more about a subject than he did, even if that someone was Penny.<p>

But Sheldon knew that if he wanted Penny in his life he would have to eventually kiss her, and more. He had allowed hand holding and they had both kissed each others cheeks and nothing bacterial had come back from either of those two activities yet, so logically kissing would be the same.

If he was really honest with himself, when Sheldon looked at Penny he wanted to hold her in his arms, and he wanted to kiss her like he had seen on the movies.

Never in his life had he not achieved something he wanted, and he wanted Penny.

Penny re-entered the room, she had been for a walk to the scenery car, to let Sheldon do some work she said, but Sheldon believed that she just wanted to be alone. Except for the time to get dinner they had been in the cabin all day, so it was perfectly understandable that Penny was getting cabin fever.

"You missed a beautiful sunset Sheldon." She closed the door behind her.

"Did you know that by the time you see the sun set on the horizon the sun did actually set about 8 minutes beforehand, so what you really are seeing is not the sun setting, but rather a reflection, and did you know that on Mars the sun appears only about two-thirds the size that it appears in a sunset seen from earth, that is because." he hoped she would finish the sentence for him.

Penny looked at him in total bewilderment. "Because of what Sheldon?"

"I was hoping you could tell me."

"Because Mars is further away from the sun perhaps."

"Very good." he smiled at her.

"Thanks, but please I'm not a five year old. I may not be a genius, but you have to respect me or this relationship will not work, you cannot talk down to me Sheldon. We have to be equals"

Sheldon blinked, he hadn't meant to insult her. "Sorry Penny, I didn't mean to talk down to you."

"Sorry moonpie, I'm a little nervous."

Sheldon looked at her blankly, she needed to clarify exactly what she was nervous about.

"Tomorrow morning we leave this train to see our friends, but everything has changed."

"Oh, you mean between us?"

"Exactly, I don't know how Leonard will handle it."

"Isn't that my problem more than yours." Sheldon replied.

Penny stopped talking and just closed her eyes. Sheldon walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him. Her head rested on his chest, this time he hadn't hesitated, he had faltered, and it felt right. She looked up at him and he knew that she wanted him to kiss her, but he couldn't, instead he smiled at her.

"Well at least you hugged me." she pulled away and he knew she was hurting. He wasn't going to give up.

Penny sat on the made up bed and Sheldon sat next to her.

She grabbed at his hand. "Sheldon what happens from tomorrow?"

"I assume I go back to my work and you still live across the hall, except now." he had lost his concentration. Instead he was thinking about the germs transferring from her hand to his, he can beat this, he has a superior mind. Concentrate Sheldon. "Now we are boyfriend and girlfriend." he concluded.

Penny smiled at him. "I'm your girlfriend, not just a girl that is a friend?"

"No you are now my girlfriend." Then he added nervously "If you want to be."

"Will I have to sign an agreement?" she asked.

"Oh. Good idea." He saw Penny shake her head violently. "Or bad idea."

"Bad Idea. We don't need things in writing Sheldon, if I do something you don't like tell me, and if you do something I don't like I will tell you. For instance, you don't talk down to me and I will only call you moonpie when we are alone."

"Point taken. You know Penny I have never had a girlfriend before."

"Well I am truly honoured Sheldon."


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: My last chapter, I hope you all enjoy. Thank you all for the follows, the story alerts and the reviews, it makes my very happy so see them in my mail box of a morning.**

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><p>Penny stood up and went into the shower room to get dressed into her pyjamas, when she finished and had brushed her teeth she returned to the main room of the cabin. Sheldon was working away, Penny couldn't see exactly what he was doing but his mind was on his work and he hadn't noticed she had returned.<p>

"Sheldon it's getting late, time for bed I think."

He replied with just a mumble about just checking his research for a little bit longer. Penny grabbed her bag and started to pack everything away that she didn't need for the morning and just as she was finishing Sheldon too closed off his computer and packed it away.

They both got into the bottom bunk as they did the night before, Penny full understanding that they will cuddle but nothing else. The light switch was on Sheldon's side and he hadn't yet turned it off, instead of sleeping on her side she decided to lie on her back, and she closed her eyes. She felt Sheldon moving beside her then she felt his lips brush against hers slightly, before pulling away.

Penny opened her eyes to see Sheldon resting on his hand lying beside her, staring straight back at her.

Penny sat up against the wall, and Sheldon did the same still facing her. She turned to speak to him.

"Sheldon." was all Penny could think to say.

He didn't reply but instead looked straight into her eyes. He then moved his hands up to cup her face, the movement heightened Penny's senses, his lips moved just teasingly close. She could feel his nervous tension and it was turning into sexual tension for her, she wanted to push against him and kiss him, but she wanted him to kiss her. He moved back in and kissed her again once very quickly and again moved away, all the time using his little finger to brush against her jawbone, a sensation that Penny liked.

Penny looked into Sheldon's eyes, this was no man-child looking at her, but a fully grown man that was experiencing thoughts and urges that no homo novus would.

"Penny." he said just as he moved back in once more time, this time with such purpose. She wrapped her arms around him and pushed in closer to him. He seemed to know exactly what he was doing and was soon moving his kisses to her neck, and then onto behind her ears.

"Just kissing tonight right?" Penny asked, she needed to know.

"Yes just kissing." he replied at the very same time as his mouth met hers again. His tongue licking against her lips.

She grabbed at his hair, for so long she had wanted to run her fingers through his hair, and it was as soft as she always imagined. She was biting at his bottom lip, the lip that had driven her crazy for so many years.

"Oh my god Sheldon, we have to stop." she pulled away and took a deep breath.

"Am I doing it wrong?"

"No, moonpie you are doing it just right. I just feel if we continue well I might not be able to help myself, and you know me once I get a notion in my head I just don't stop. Hey and where did you learn to kiss like that?"

"I did my research."

"You certainly did." she teased.

He smiled, he was glad that his research was proving correct.

"You aren't ready for anything else are you Sheldon?"

"Second base you mean?" he shook his head. "Let's just concentrate on the kissing for the moment."

"No problem." she pulled him closer and kissed him forcefully.

Sheldon's alarm woke both of them at 7.00am, time for a quick shower each and check everything was packed and before long they arrived into the station. They could see Leonard, Raj, Amy, Howard and Bernadette all standing there waiting for them to disembark. Penny waved through the cabin window at them and they all waved back.

She turned to Sheldon. "Well moon-pie, let's get this bit over with."

He leaned in and kissed her on the lips.

Sheldon helped Penny with her bag onto the platform and then grabbed her hand and helped her too. He didn't release her hand and he noticed that everyone else was looking at their hands.

"Sheldon, Penny, welcome home, I won't ask how the trip went you both obviously had a good time." Leonard came up to greet them.

"Leonard, Penny told me about the party. I hope there was no damage to the apartment, and did anyone go into my room?"

"Nice to have you back buddy." Leonard looked at Sheldon's hand still intertwined with Penny's. "No damaged and nobody went into your room."

"MM, I'll need to check when we get home."

Penny in the meantime was being welcomed by Bernadette and Amy with hugs, still not letting go of Sheldon's hand, she needed his strength right now.

They only released their hands from each other when they reached their landing. Leonard and the others went into Apartment 4A leaving Sheldon and Penny alone.

"Well here we are, back home." Penny said.

" You coming in?"

"No, I'm beat. I just want to lie on my own bed for a while." On tiptoe Penny kissed Sheldon on the lips. "Come by and see me some time."

Sheldon walked into Apartment 4A to the stares of all the others.

"Penny not coming?" Bernadette asked.

"No I think she is a little tired. I'll be in my room if anyone wants me, checking that no damage to any of my comic books took place ."

The rest of the group left not long after Sheldon went to his room, and Leonard went into work.

Sheldon opened his bedroom door and walked out of his apartment to Penny's.

Knock, knock, knock. "Penny."

Knock, knock, knock. "Penny."

Knock, knock, knock. "Penny."

She opened the door."Hello moon-pie, thought you would never get here."


End file.
